Postdoctoral researcher in remote sensing and land degradation (f/m/d)
Leibniz-Institut für Agrarentwicklung in Transformationsökonomien IAMO
06120 Halle (Saale)
Bewerbungsfrist: 2026-11-15
About IAMO
- The Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) in Halle (Saale), Germany, invites applications for a Postdoctoral researcher in remote sensing and land degradation (f/m/d).
- The candidate will join the TransMoP project (Transcending Boundaries: Navigating Mobility and Persistence in Arid and Degraded Landscapes).
- TransMoP investigates how land degradation and climate change shape human mobility and staying in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
We expect:
- A doctoral degree in geography, remote sensing, geoinformatics, environmental science, land-system science, geoecology, or a closely related field
- Strong expertise in remote sensing and spatial analysis, including time-series analysis of Earth-observation and climate data (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, ERA5), preferably applied to land degradation, vegetation dynamics, water stress, agriculture, or dryland systems
- Strong quantitative and geospatial programming skills, preferably in R and/or Python, and experience with GIS, statistical analysis and spatial modelling; change-detection, composite indicators, or dimensionality-reduction methods would be an asset
- Experience with research data management, open science and reproducible research workflows
- A publication record appropriate to the applicant’s career stage and excellent communication and English-language scientific writing skills
- Ability to work independently and across disciplinary boundaries within an international team, collaborating closely with researchers working on migration, livelihoods and qualitative research
- Willingness to undertake research visits in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and collaborate closely with regional partners; familiarity with Central Asia and proficiency in a language spoken in the region would be an advantage
What we offer:
- The opportunity to work at the interface of remote sensing, land degradation, climate change and human mobility within an international, interdisciplinary team
- Computational infrastructure and methodological expertise at IAMO
- Opportunities for research stays and field visits in Central Asia, with support for participation in international scientific conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals
- Integration into IAMO’s active community of researchers working on Central Asia and access to a wider network of research partners and institutions across the region
- Support for developing an independent research profile and advancing your career through mentoring and IAMO and Leibniz training programmes; opportunities for teaching and integration into the academic environment at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU)
- A collaborative and international working environment with flexible working arrangements and opportunities for mobile work
Conditions
- The position is funded for three years
- Start in early 2027
- Location: Halle (Saale), Germany
- Salary: TV-L E13
Interested candidates should submit the following application documents in English:
- Letter of motivation (maximum 1 page)
- Curriculum vitae
- Transcripts and certificates, and English-language certificate if needed
- A research proposal (maximum two pages)
- Names and contact information of two academic referees
- Submit as a single PDF file with 'TransMoP Postdoc' in the subject line to application.agpolicy@iamo.de
- Closing date: 15.11.2026
Contact
- Prof. Dr. Kathleen Hermans (email: khermans@iamo.de)
About data protection
- Please note the data protection information for applications in accordance with Art. 13 GDPR.